The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-02-10
VOL. XVII
COUNTY SUBSCRIPTIOe TO RAIL-
ROADS.
Especial Cor. STATE CHI

| der the provisions or any ra4l load charter,
the people of a county or town to deter
mine by vote of majoritk of the citi-
zens, whether the county on town shall
subscribe to the capital stock Of a railroad
company and issue bonds to pay such sub
| scriptiOn.
| BY referring to sections 1896 to ,0O0
both inclusive of the Code, YOU will see
that the Boards of Commissioners of coun
ties have the right by general law to sub
NIT the question of subscription to any
railroad company to the people of their
respective counties. Whatever doubts you
may entertain as to the wisdom Of making
these subscriptions it IS certain that the
sections Of the Code, referred to, give ex
preston to the wish Of the people of the
State, that they shall have a right to de-
| termine such questions for themselves.
You mention the counties of Burke, Car
teret and Mcdowell as the greatest suf
ferers on account of subscriptions made
before the war. Yet the people of Nc
Dowell county voted in favor of a sub
scrlption of fifty thousand dollars to the
Boston Construction Company two years
ago, and the people of Burke county gave
large majority in favor of a subscription
to another projected road last year Cleve-
land county voted one hundred and twenty
tive thousand to two railroad companies
he year after finishing the payment of
)ne hundred thousand of bonded debt in
curred from roads already built. Ruther-
1 fOrd county paid fifty thousand before
mile of road was built in the county and
afterwards voted in favor of subscribing
one hundred thousand more to the Boston
company. l might mention many other
Counties that have subscribed or are about
70 subscribe to the stock of railroad com
panies
tn rla
So \. G. 37S, you will find hat the Su-
preme Court of the United s. ties and the
courts of other States hold { At I ose who
absent themselves from such E. lect oIs, are
, to be considered as asserting o Il will of
The majority voting, and til IT court
lntimates purpose to concur t. t view.
That practically gives the decision to
f majority of those who actually vote. and
I taxpayers ought to vote and generally do
(. so. II that construction should be adopt
I'd it makes no difference what language is
used in charters.
n PROGRESS.
e The CHRONICLE did not take the posi-
e tlon that the people ought never - be
t allowed 10 vote on subscriptions 70 ihlild
Z railroads. We said that the Legislature
e o"ght to 60 slow in granting peculiar
t privileges to railroads. and that We donbt-
e ed very much the expediency or wisdom
d of permitting such subscriptions. But we
d also said, and We quote it as slowing that
We would not have an iron clad rue and
+ that We would not override The popular
o Will:
. ''W Whenever it is wise to allow such sub
e scrlptlons-lby popular vote Of towns or
n cOuntles &c. sometimes it may be the
part of wlsdom-there ought 10 be pro-
vision to this effect: That certain pro-
portion of the Indebtedness, graded by
ability to pay, must be paid annually, ano
tax levied therefor. This will prevent
: ne voters entalllng a heavy debt upon the
-eneratlon that is to come after them.
E Ordinarily railroad enterprises that have
: sufficient monetary backing can be con
e minated without the aid of popular
t subscriptions. This is not always true
4 md each case must stand or fall upon its
own merits. If the people see that it is
absolutely necessary to vote a subscription
, ? K. K. Company, to secure the road
and they desire to do it-then let them
'ote. But we have seen few roads built
shere this extrinsic help was absolutely
necessary.
Whenever there is vote, however, it
olght to require majority OF the quail
fed voters in the township or The county
5 10 carry it. What is "qualjhedn voter
! is not determined in North Carolina
4 Our correspondent-he is an able lawyer
e thinks that the Supreme Court will decide
e that majority of those voting can i'm
70 pose tax. We think many able lawyers
! gard qualified voter one who is of
> .e and whose term of residence in the
le unity gives hn right to vote.
W Our chef objection to the charters al
wing the people to subscribe to a rail
a Dad, bya majority of the votes cast is
ne mat it enables few colorea or VIII t
ut trading politicians, if paid a. suficient
a. amount, to saddle the people a a ounty
ad with heavy debt. We are at O that
"a number who believe that only Land -hGders
of or large tax payers ought to dedde bout
O. such subscriptions. Neither d, vi be
o long to that class, which by buying Aegre
~ voters, believes in putting a bonded leb
er- upon the county which will burden ifo
eo years.
'o There is middle grourd in tuis matte
b. upon which we stand. It is: DlsouI
age popular subscriptions to ad 9nttrer
st who come among US to get sub rlptlon
-. and then sell out to big corpora .ohs; g
he slow about voting subscription TO an,
all railroad and always in any reasonapie fhn
en- ner prevent purchaseable igloran' nespe
VII from controlling the election; en- IL
sr wise to vote popular suDscrlp on IN
as charter ought to provide how tn 'moun
no voted shall be paid. We sw b i som
ny days ago providing for Wster Compah
~ ~ which provided that for the first ten year
are the coupons should be for the lnteres
ao4 that after that time for five p,T cent o
us the amount OF the public suhcrition am
''0 the interest This is the pro'isio, we in
bill sist upon to protect the coulties from
9TH heavy bonded debt.
&C. We agree with Progress" that u this
.iy a. IN all other matters, the people o,ght t.
out rule. We are far from beievin, tha
ore thew ought to be denied that right w
ON ON wish to provide against entiling debt
;a even in subscriptions that nght to b
as goted: and in opposing any sbscrption
t l except where absolutely neessar. lant
IN Where the popular sentiment Rsronely ia
.oat Vors it.